Rapporteurs call for investigation into the death in prison of Azerbaijani blogger

04/05/2017

News

Three PACE rapporteurs have called on the authorities of Azerbaijan to conduct an urgent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of blogger Mehman Galandarov, who was found hanged in his cell in a Baku prison on 28 April.

Stefan Schennach (Austria, SOC) and Cezar Florin Preda (Romania, EPP/CD), co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Azerbaijan, said they would be looking into this issue during their next visit to Azerbaijan.

Separately, Alain Destexhe (Belgium, ALDE), rapporteur on “Azerbaijan’s Chairmanship of the Council of Europe: what follow-up on respect for human rights?”, has written to Azerbaijan’s Justice Minister seeking an inquiry.